Minister: Number of Tourists in Georgia Is Twice More than Population

The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Giorgi Kobulia says that nowadays the number of tourists in the country is twice that of locals.

The minister made the statement at the International Meetings Forum of Georgia, which is underway in Tbilisi in cooperation with the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA), on October 22-23.

He said that tourism is a sphere in which Georgia is developing at a great pace, but added that infrastructure development and improvement of the tourism service segment is important.

“Nowadays, the number of tourists in Georgia is twice as much as the population. With this indicator, we are already a leader in the world…This means that today we must do our best to serve the tourists visiting us at a high-level.  In this direction, we plan very serious measures, including strengthening infrastructure and direct flight development," he noted.

Kobulia says that in order to develop tourism further, it is necessary to give education in this regard to people who are in this business.

“We need to educate tens of thousands of people who will serve the segment of tourism. These are the professions of waiters, guides, managers. We have serious programs about immigration issues, as well as improvements to the tax system. This complex program will enable us to improve the quality of service over the next three to four years,” the minister said.

Georgia’s position according to the International Congress and Conference Association Index 2017 has improved by 8 points compared to the index of the previous year. In 2014-2017, Georgia advanced its position by 18 points.

By Thea Morrison